HORN’S ANNUAL ADDRESS EMPHASIZES PROSPERITY

FALLBROOK 
A slimmed-down county Supervisor Bill Horn on Thursday spoke during his annual State of the North County address of the importance of cooperation to boost the region’s economy.

Weighing in at 43 pounds less than a short time ago, Horn said when he became supervisor in 1995 he weighed 205 pounds.

“I started this little diet thing when I weighed 305,” he said. “Being supervisor is not conducive to good health.”

Horn seemed to indicate he will seek a sixth term in 2014 while talking about his opposition last year to the revised county General Plan, which he said hurts property owners by devaluing their land.

“As long as I’m here I will be an advocate for private property rights. Period,” Horn said before a crowd of more than 100 people, including many local Republican politicians, gathered at the Grand Tradition Estate in Fallbrook.

“So if you don’t like that position you can run against me next time. I’ll beat you …”

Horn mentioned several times how the North County district he represents encompasses 1,860 square miles, “larger than Rhode Island,” and how the area is “positioned for prosperity.”

He said North County, with all the cities acting together as one region, will benefit economically through cooperation.

He said last year that the county as a whole received about $22 million in federal grants, of which only $120,000 went to the North County.

“I don’t want this to happen anymore,” Horn said. “We’re going to have to change this ourselves. We have as many people north of the city of San Diego as they have in the city of San Diego, and yet we get ignored because we’re divided up into these small municipalities.”

He said with the cities working together, jobs and economic prosperity will come to the area.